Trent
CST 232-09
Mr. Anastsio
2/20/11
The Meme Machine
1. Meme are defined as ideas or beliefs that are transmitted from one person or group of people to another, basically meme is a word for sharing information with others rather it be a group or people in general. It can also mean ideas and symbols that can be transmitted through speech, gestures and rituals. Groups of meme are called memeplexes. Memeplexes are group of meme that are often found present in the same individual. Susan talked about how memeplexes work better when there teamed up. Genes and meme are similar because genes are known for transmitting biological information and meme do the same but they are to be to transmit ideas, symbols and practices. They are also alike because meme just like genes are replicators that undergo evolution. Some of the differences between meme and genes is that meme’s can benefit from ideas like inventions. Humans think they benefit from inventions like or origins of farming and books. The meme where the ones that benefitted from it all. Genes just send out the biological information and don’t gain anything from it. The meme is kind of a imitation thing too and also it makes you copy things of what certain people do. One example that she used was there ways of making baskets to carry food in it was a new way from the last baskets that were made. When they saw that the new baskets carry more fruit in it so they copied it because they saw the result of it. From a gene point of view its going to look for the basket that increases inclusive fitness and whichever one is biologically better for them. In a way both genes and meme are the same of how they function but when it comes to different scenarios they are different in their own way.